Mets president blasts Javier Baez over 'thumbs-down' celebration

It hasn’t been long since the New York Mets traded for former Chicago Cubs star Javier Baez. Nonetheless, ‘El Mago’ has already made history at Queens, but maybe not for the reasons you’d expect.

Baez raised a lot of controversies by celebrating with his thumbs down. When asked about it, he said that the gesture was directed towards the fans, as the players were going to hold them accountable the same way they do when they boo them.

“We are not machines,” the Puerto Rican said. “We are going to struggle seven times out of 10. It feels bad when I strike out and I get booed. It doesn’t really get to me, but I want to let them know that when we’re successful, we’re going to do the same thing, to let them know how it feels. If we win together, then we gotta lose together. In my case, they (the fans) gotta be better. It’s just how I feel. I love the fans I like playing for the fans, but we can’t have our fans against us.”

Mets’ Sandy Alderson Full Statement On Javier Baez’s Comments

That’s why Mets president Sandy Alderson quickly released a statement to fire back at the infielder’s comments, claiming that the ballclub’s front office’s stance will always be in favor of the fans:

“In a post-game press conference today, Javy Baez stated that his ‘thumbs down’ gesture during the game was a message to fans who recently have booed him and other players for poor performance. These comments, and any gestures by him or other players with similar intent, are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

“Mets fans are understandably frustrated over the team’s recent performance. The players and the organization are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. Booing is every fan’s right.”

“The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way towards our fans…”

Things aren’t looking well for the Mets right now. They continue to freefall and are a long shot to make the playoffs unless the Atlanta Braves lose a lot of games and they turn the ship around. As for Baez, he’ll be a free agent after the season, so he may not be a lock to stay.